Mel Bay The Bongo Book

Here's an entire book devoted to the all too often overlooked Latin instrument, the bongo drums. Trevor Salloum guides you on an inspired informative, and educational musical journey; offering many valuable insights of playing this instrument as well as revealing its colorful history. This text features jazz, rock, Danzon, Mozambique, and bomba patterns with fills, exercises, and performance techniques to get you going in these styles. Maintenance, characteristic rhythmic patterns, and important artists in the evolution of bongo technique are also covered in depth. The companion CD features recordings of the rhythm patterns discussed in the book.
Customer Review: Bongo Book
Serves its purpose well. It is the thinnist book I've ever seen, but hey it's about music. WHat more can you say. It isn't really worth the money. Get the CDs over this I recommend videos over both.
Customer Review: Not For Beginners!
The item description doesn't say that this book is for beginners. But based on the reviews I read it seemed like a good book for beginners. That was a horrific assumption. I don't blame the publisher for this, I blame other reviewers who lead readers to believe this is a good book for beginners. From the beginning this book uses all kinds of terminology that I've never heard of before (and I have played some keyboard, drums and guitar). Which leads me to wonder who this book is for because, in my opinion, anyone who can understand the terminology probably has no use for such a book. I do fault the publisher for the terribly exposed, grainy photographs. I also fault the publisher for allowing several interviews with bongo players which, in my opinion, do not belong in a book like this. The whole book just feels cheap as if it was quickly thrown together. As an absolute beginner what I would have liked to see is a more detailed explanation of technique along with photos (this book has a few photos, but most of them look the same, and the photos do not correlate with the techniques described in the text). I would also have liked to see more description of how to read the notation used in the book. And while I understand musical timing due to my previous experience an absolute beginner will have no clue as to what tempo the notes should be played, this is not described anywhere in the book. This is a very poorly executed and frustrating book about bongos. It borders on useless for a true beginner. If you are a beginning bongo player do not buy this book it will not help you learn to play the bongos and will give you nothing but frustration. I have no idea how a book like this ever made it to print.

Marion Meadows, the richly talented Smooth Jazz artist has released his latest album titled Next To You and Wow! Its really a good one.

I wish it werent the case but, its not everyday that I get a CD from an artist that I can just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. There is usually a song or two that I just cant force myself to get through. Not at all the case with Next To You. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

The nice thing about a CD like this is when the talent is this rich even if Smooth Jazz isnt your favorite style you still cant help but appreciate the greatness of the artist.

Overall Next To You is excellent from beginning to end. One of those CDs that after a few listens the songs are just etched into your memory. A must have for the Smooth Jazz fan. Really sensational from beginning to end.

My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 10, It's Alright Now. Good stuff!

Next To You Release Notes:

Marion Meadows originally released Next To You on Sep 26, 2000 on the Heads Up Records label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Miami

2. Carousel

3. Blue Cactus

4. Next To You

5. Look Inside

6. The Dance

7. Any Time Any Place

8. No Rhyme, No Reason

9. Spend My Life

10. It's Alright Now

11. La Samba

Personnel: Marion Meadows (soprano, alto & tenor saxophones); Norbert Stachel (flute); Jay Rowe, Peter Horvath, Michael Beardon (piano); Ray Obiedo (keyboards, guitar); Dave Matthews, Barry Eastmond, Yasha Barjona (keyboards); Julio Fernandez (acoustic guitar); Tariqh Akoni (electric guitar); Marc Van Wegeningen, Curtis Olson (bass); Peter Michael Escovedo, (drums, congas, timbales, percussion); Pete Escovedo (guiro); Michael Spiro (shaker, triangle). Producers: Yasha Barjona, Ray Obiedo, Barry J. Eastmond. Engineers: Yasha Barjona, Ray Obiedo, Barry J. Eastmond.

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